,One of the most exciting parts of Assassin's Creed Valhalla are quests that never show up on the quest log, hidden areas, and exciting secrets to be found. With so much to uncover there is a lot of added playtime to the game, which is one of the reasons the game has received such positive reviews.
Some of the game's secrets have eluded even the most hardcore fans of the Assassin's Creed series. However, with some deep searching, any player can uncover these fantastic references and Easter eggs hidden throughout the game's expansive world.
Updated May 25th, 2021 by Stephen LaGioia: This Viking romp from Ubisoft has already proven to be one of the most dynamic, robust titles in this storied franchise. This has only been extended with the release of various new quests, events, and all-new DLC content. Since the game is both massive in size and fairly cryptic at times, it's no surprise that there remain a wealth of hidden locales, exploits, and easter eggs that have largely gone undiscovered. As such, it seemed like a good idea to venture forth once again and flesh out this list with five additional Valhalla secrets.
15 Subtle Tolkien References
Given the similar themes and atmosphere, it's probably no surprise that there are a few references to J. R. R. Tolkien's works. Both The Hobbit and the epic Lord of the Rings get a number of nods in Valhalla. Beorn the Skin Changer is referred to by way of a quest that involes the rather familiar "Beastmaster," which even involves Beorn Cavern. Another involves the blacksmith of Asgard, Ivaldi, who rattles off the names of some of The Hobbit's dwarven cast.
Lord of the Rings is referenced by way of a note from a pagan community in Gloucester, which alludes vaguely to Bilbo and his small home. A ring sitting atop the envelope further punctuates this easter egg. Finally, there's a character named Degolas, who seems to be a nod to a certain prominent elf in the series.
14 A Sea Monster Easter Egg
As is the case with the main game, the atmospheric DLC expansion known as Wrath of the Druids has its own share of nuances and hidden secrets. One easter egg includes a group of what seems to be the bones of a large whale or sea monster.
Players can discover this creature's remnants in a bay that rests on the northeastern corner of Ireland. One can't help but wonder about the story behind this ominous beast, and whether there are more of them out there.
13 Animus Anomalies
Many players were surprised to find a number of bizarre, out-of-place sightings that seem to resemble something out of The Matrix rather than Assassin's Creed. These take the form of glitchy, sci-fi-themed platforming bouts that serve to tie this game with the rest of the series. They remind players that this is, in fact, a simulation.
As there are just ten of them, and they're fairly well-hidden, they aren't too easy to find, nor simple to complete. Locations of these odd manifestations include the southwest of Saint Albanes Abbey in Oxenefordscire, and Needham Lake in East Anglia.
12 Strawmen Assassinations For Free Adrenaline
While it's not a secret so much as a simple (yet subtle) exploit, this is a technique that has nonetheless gone unrealized by many players. Seeing as Adrenaline is such a useful resource, it's pretty handy that players can actually take advantage of the seemingly useless strawmen scattered about Eivor's settlement to gain quick, easy adrenaline.
Yes, these can apparently be used for more than basic combat training. Eivor can simply sneak up behind these stationary strawmen and assassinate them, yielding free adrenaline points.
11 An Exploit For Flying Paper Catches
In a way, the various Flying Papers make for a fun way to grab some neat collectibles, which translate to tattoos that can add visual flair to Eivor. At the same time, these can often turn into tricky platforming bouts and an intense race against the clock. Thankfully, players can make these endeavors far easier with a simple trick.
Obtain the Blinding Rush ability, which is located in the Northeast part of East Anglia, beneath a Ruined Tower. The upgrade can be found in Chersey Abbey Ruins in Suthsexe. The ability allows players to slow time for a bit. While this normally works towards landing simpler kills, players can also use it to bog down the fleeting paper's movement, thus nabbing it more easily.
10 A Callback T0 The First Game
When traveling to York, players have several targets they are set to assassinate as one would expect from a game called Assassin's Creed. However, they may not have noticed the subtle callback to the first game in the series.
Killing a merchant in public, poisoning someone at a party, and the burning of books come up in the assassinations in Damascus just as they do in York. This small nod to the series origins is so subtle it's easy to miss.
9 Trogdor The Burninator
The game has a ton of Easter eggs that players have uncovered but this is the one most often missed. Players can a piece of parchment with "Tove's Tattoo Ideas" that describe a bizarre tattoo concept to those that don't recognize what it is referencing.
The tattoo would be of Trogdor the Burninator from the Homestar Runner episode: Strong Bad Email #58 - Dragon. It's not the first time Homestar Runner has featured in a video game but the reference is subtle enough that unless gaming fans have seen the episode it's not easy to catch.
8 Words Of The High One
This one might be a bit of a stretch, as it's not exactly in the game itself. However, it's simply too cool not to share. Fans of the game were able to find some hidden runes on the official Assassin's Creed: Valhalla website. When translated, they read as follows: Cows die, kinsmen die, so must die oneself the same. But I know one thing that never dies, each dead man’s judgment.
These lines are a verse from the poem Hávamál which roughly translates to Words of the High One. These lines were said to come from Odin himself as a speech to humanity. The full poem discusses advice on how to live, how to find wisdom and proper conduct.
7 The Collector's Edition
Fans that are lucky enough to own the collector's edition of the game may find they have a few more secrets to unlock than others.
The Steel Book contains tools to help decipher runes hidden throughout other parts of the physical goodies that came in the bundle like the soundtrack and some of the pictures that came with it. There are several similarities to the Collector's Edition for Assassin's Creed Odyssey that fans should keep their eyes peeled for.
6 Fireflies
You would not believe your eyes if ten million fireflies... Thankfully, players don't have to collect as many as are mentioned in that famous song lyric for this little secret. Fireflies are incredibly difficult to catch and move quite quickly.
Of course, they can also only be found at night. Any players that do manage to collect twenty-five of them and bring them back to the lake behind their settlement will enjoy a nice surprise.
5 Murdering Winifred
That's right, players have the option to kill the in-game version of Winnie the Pooh. The Winifred world event is normally quite wholesome, with players helping a young boy who lives in a house that looks eerily similar to one from the Hundred Acre Wood. Players help him get honey for a bear that is his friend, and if they follow him to the lake after they can see he is also friends with a donkey and a pig.
Most players simply walked away after completing the wholesome event but players are actually able to fight and kill the friendly bear. The fight is tough and players only receive one brown bear fur and six leather for their troubles. Oh, and a very traumatized child screaming about their friend being killed.
4 COVID-19 Mention
Unfortunately, the realities of COVID-19 hit everyone in 2020, even within the world of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. An email can be found when outside of the Animus that may be the first-ever direct mention of the virus inside of a video game.
Players can find the email that mentions it on Layla's laptop. The message reads, "I don't have Covid, no. And I'm well isolated. It's just the three of us, traveling together, staying out of sight." Will the virus end up having more portrayal in media like video games? Only time will tell.
3 Fenton!
Ubisoft is at it again with another incredibly subtle reference in the game that most players would have missed. Players likely didn't realize when doing the Eivor the Sheepdog world event that the sheep named Fenton they were chasing was actually named after a dog made famous by YouTube.
This nine-year-old viral video making its way into the game shows that one developer has a deep love for canine friends.
2 Visit Asgard & Jotunheim
While a favorite Marvel hero won't be there, players can actually visit the mythical land of Asgard within the game. Be warned: players who are not leveled high enough will find this visit incredibly challenging and likely not be able to continue. If they weren't wise with how they saved, they may find themselves stranded.
Players must be sure to build the house for Valka in their settlement as soon as possible. Once they do, she can guide the player on a vision quest to visit these mythical realms. The story in these side quests adds a lot of interesting lore to the game and is most certainly worth checking out.
1 Return The Leaf
Plenty of players have helped comfort a young girl named Mae, who is waiting for her father to return home. He has been searching for work and has said he would return before the last leaf falls, yet there is only one leaf left on the tree. The only way to help the young girl and finish the quest is to shoot the arrow out of the tree with a bow, completing the world event Last Leaf of Fall.
However, the story doesn't have to end there. Players can then retrieve the leaf and bring it inside, leaving it on a stool for the girl. While this does nothing to change the result of this side mission, it's a touching moment where players can show that extra spark of compassion towards Mae.